1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exercise apparatus, and in particular, to exercise apparatus that incorporate amusement or entertainment features to make the use of the exercise apparatus more enjoyable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Exercise has become very popular in recent years as people have come to recognize the virtues and importance of exercise to good health. As a result, a wide variety of exercise machines and equipment, such as treadmills, stationary bicycles, rowing machines, steppers, and others, have been provided for use by people of all ages.
Unfortunately, the use of exercise machines can become rather monotonous, and only the dedicated fitness buffs and those whose health problems mandate the frequent use of such exercise machines will be able to continue their exercise routines on a regular basis. For most other people, the monotony soon overwhelms their desire to exercise, and they soon fall out of their exercise routines.
It is also important for children to be introduced to the benefits of regular exercise. However, the monotony problem is more severe for children, since they tend to be more restless and less dedicated to anything at their young ages. Children also tend to look for different forms of amusement or encouragement. Therefore, in order for children to be attracted to frequent exercise, it is important to encourage children to use the exercise machines.
Past attempts have been made to encourage the user to use exercise machines. Such attempts use amusement to encourage a user to continue using the exercise machine. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,897 (Melton et al.) discloses a stationary bicycle in which rotation of its pedals will allow the user to control a video game computer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,268 (Nadeau) discloses a rowing machine which produces a pleasing electronic tone when the user has reached each end of the rowing motion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,376 (St. Clair) discloses an exercise machine that takes the form of an animal. When the pedals L are rotated, the animal is caused to move in an upward and forward, and reverse elliptical pattern to simulate the running movement of the animal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,281 (Chen) discloses a stationary bicycle in which rotation of the pedals will actuate a fan 40, which in turn blows a float 50 upwardly along a rod 30.
In spite of the above examples, there still remains a need for exercise apparatus that provide amusement as an incentive for children, especially younger toddlers, to use the exercise apparatus on a frequent and regular basis.